Rick's Cafe Negril: Should You Jump, and When to Get There

Rick's Cafe Negril is the cliffside bar on the West End where people jump from the rocks into a deep blue cove, then stay for the sunset and the live band. The jump is optional, the view is not, and the whole evening works best if you arrive about an hour before the sun goes down. Here is how we run it.

Is the cliff jump at Rick's Cafe safe, and how high is it?

The bar has been on these cliffs since 1974, and the jumping is a big part of why people come. There are a few spots guests are allowed to jump from. The lowest ledge is about ten feet above the water, which most people manage with a deep breath. The top platform open to guests is roughly 35 feet, and that one gets the cheers. The cove below is deep, and there are metal ladders bolted into the rock to climb back up.

The staff divers are a separate thing. They climb higher than any guest is allowed, including into the tree above the cliff, and they do flips off it. Keep some small US bills handy, because they collect tips after a show and they earn them.

A few things our drivers tell every group:

• Jump feet first, arms tucked. The water is deep enough but a flat landing from 35 feet hurts badly.
• Jump before you drink, not after. The staff will turn you away from the higher platforms if you look unsteady, and the cocktails are strong.
• If the sea is rough they close the platforms. Treat the jumping as a bonus, not a promise.
• Nobody pushes you. Plenty of our guests just watch.

If you want to jump, do it in the afternoon when the platforms are open and the light is good for photos. Once the sun is close to the horizon, the jumping winds down and the crowd turns to face the sea.

What time should you get to Rick's Cafe for sunset?

In the winter months, from about November through February, the sun sets around 5:30 to 5:45 in Negril. In June and July it is closer to a quarter to seven. The crowd starts filling the rail from about half past four regardless of season, so we aim to have you on the deck roughly an hour before sunset. That gives you time to find a table and get a clear spot at the rail.

Weekdays are noticeably calmer than Friday and Saturday. If you have a choice, go midweek. The bar opens at midday and runs until about ten at night. There is no admission charge at the time of writing, but check their site before you go, because that has changed over the years.

After the sun drops, the house band starts and the deck turns into a party. Children are allowed, and families do fine for the sunset part. It is loud and it is a bar, so we would not plan to keep small kids there late.

How do you get to Rick's Cafe from Montego Bay or Negril?

From a Negril hotel, Rick's Cafe Negril is an easy run. Seven Mile Beach to the West End cliffs is about ten to fifteen minutes by car, a bit longer when the roundabout is busy at the end of the day.

From Montego Bay it is a proper evening out. Hotels around MoBay are about an hour and a half to two hours from Rick's, depending on where you stay and the traffic through Lucea. We pick you up mid afternoon, you have the cliffs and the sunset, and you are back at your hotel by around nine or ten. Your driver waits the whole time, so the trip home in the dark is not something you have to think about.

From Ocho Rios it is well over three hours each way, which makes for a very long night. If Rick's is high on your list and you are staying on the north coast, we usually suggest pairing it with a day in Negril rather than driving over just for the evening.

Should you drive there or take the catamaran?

We offer both ways to Rick's Cafe Negril, and they are different nights.

The driven trip is the simple one. You get there with time to jump, you can sit anywhere, and you leave when you are ready. It is the better choice if jumping matters to you, or if you have kids or anyone who does not love boats.

The sunset catamaran sail leaves from Negril, stops for a snorkel on the reef, has an open bar on board, and finishes under the cliffs at Rick's as the sun goes down. You watch the divers from the water, with the whole cliff lit up above you. It is a party boat. It is the better choice if the sailing and the open bar are the point, and if you are happy to see the cliffs from below rather than stand on them.

What should you bring?

• Swimwear under your clothes, and a light shirt or dress for the deck once you are out of the water.
• Water shoes. The rock is sharp and the ladders are metal.
• A towel and a dry change of clothes for the drive back.
• A waterproof pouch for your phone if you plan to jump with it. Better still, hand it to a friend.
• Small US bills for tipping the divers. Cards work at the bar.

We can set up the Rick's Cafe trip as a private evening from Negril or Montego Bay, or add the sunset catamaran to a Negril day. If you are landing at Sangster, our private airport transfers can drop you in Negril with the cliffs already booked for your first evening.